Elizabeth Kostova is an author of place. When I read The Historian, which I highly recommend to any fan of history, travel, and a dash of the supernatural, I was besotted with Eastern Europe. Her vivid descriptions of the intersection between East and West in places like Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest and her journey into … More The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
Tracy Chevalier writes historic fiction that isn’t laughably romanticized nor suspiciously unbelievable. Like her more popular novels, The Lady and the Unicorn and The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Burning Bright uses the backdoor approach to historical fiction. Instead of being with the king in his chambers amidst the turmoil of European revolution, we’re in a crowded … More Book Review: Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
Lair of Dreams follows The Diviners as the second book in the new series by acclaimed young adult author, Libba Bray. The roaring twenties are in full swing when The Diviners’ heroine, Evie, sets off for New York from sleepy Zenith, Ohio. New York is full of vibrant characters, some with special supernatural abilities. Evil casts a shadow … More Book Review: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Whiteys praying to their black poet-god to absolve them of their sins crying, “I understand! I understand!” – from The White Boy Shuffle After picking up a copy of poet Paul Beatty’s 1996 novel, you’ll probably read the back cover. Here, you’ll find a vague description that says, “black boy moves to the ghetto, becomes unlikely basketball star … More Book Review: The White Boy Shuffle
Stacy Schiff’s The Witches: Salem 1692 was an incredible disappointment. I’m an avid reader; two of my favorite subjects are history and the supernatural. I’m enthralled by both fictitious history and the bloody reality of our collective past. Therefore, when my favorite non-fiction author published a work on the Salem Witch Trials – combining history and the supernatural … More Book Review: The Witches by Stacy Schiff
Career of Evil is the moment in the Cormoran Strike series when who the main character of the series is shifts almost imperceptibly. As in the preceding novel, The Silkworm, Both leading characters are developed at length. In fact, the author almost ambushes the reader with past trauma, opening a dialog about women, violence, and how different women … More Book Review: Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
Billed as a children’s fantasy novel Wildwood certainly delivers in both imagination and childhood whimsy. Melot’s startlingly emotional plot and surprising eruptions of frank violence, however, create a compelling story for any adult reader. … More Escaping to Wildwood
The Ohioan 